INFIELDERS

Alcides Escobar, SS - Without announcing it as such, the Brewers began the transition from J.J. Hardy to Escobar as their starting shortstop on Aug. 12, when they exchanged places at Class AAA Nashville. Escobar lived up to his reputation as a sometimes sensational defender in the field but also confirmed the scouting report that he sometimes makes careless mistakes. Escobar, 22, who improved his offensive game in the minors, held his own at the plate for the Brewers, batting .304 in 38 games. He doesn't draw many walks (four in 134 plate appearances) and must improve in that category to boost his on-base percentage (.333). Escobar is so fast that any groundball not hit sharply at an infielder is a potential base hit. He could utilize that speed even more by increasing his bunt attempts. With a better OBP, he could emerge as a reliable leadoff hitter. GRADE: B-plus.

Craig Counsell, INF - The steady veteran opted not to have knee surgery during spring training and the decision paid off handsomely for the Brewers. Counsell didn't show any signs of being hobbled during the year and filled in nicely for the injured Rickie Weeks at second base and for a period at third base after it became clear that Bill Hall wasn't the answer. He batted .345 in May and .292 in July before wearing down a bit under the unexpected workload. Counsell finished at .285 with a .357 OBP and eight triples, tying for eighth in the NL. Considering Counsell figured to be a sparingly-used utility man - he ended up playing in 130 games - the Milwaukee native played above expectations. GRADE: B-plus.

Prince Fielder, 1B - Had the Brewers contended for the postseason, Fielder would have given St. Louis' Albert Pujols a run for his money for the NL MVP award. Still, he had a career year and made impressive strides in batting average (.299), walks (110) and OBP (.412). The improvement came from buying into hitting coach Dale Sveum's No. 1 message: plate discipline. Fielder limited his swings at bad pitches and stopped getting himself out. He took his walks, pounded pitches he did get in the strike zone and as a result set career highs in OBP, batting average, slugging (.602), walks and RBI (141). Fielder obliterated club records in RBI (126 by Cecil Cooper) and walks (99 by Jeromy Burnitz). His on-base plus slugging (1.014) was second in the league. Challenged by coach Willie Randolph to improve in the field, Fielder dropped his error total from 17 to seven. He garnered more national attention by winning the All-Star Home Run Derby and appeared on the cover of a popular video game. GRADE: A-plus.

Mat Gamel, 3B - Gamel's first extensive action at the big-league level did not go as hoped. The original plan was to bring him up to serve as DH for interleague games, but the bench was so bad Gamel was summoned earlier and kept afterward. But with Casey McGehee's emergence as the regular third baseman, Gamel's playing time decreased and he couldn't adapt to it. He got so out of sync at the plate that when he was returned to Class AAA Nashville, he couldn't find his stroke. Gamel saw how difficult it is to pinch-hit at the big-league level, going 3 for 21. In 128 at-bats with the Brewers, he batted only .242 with five homers and 20 RBI. Even worse, he struck out 54 times, a red flag for a prospect known as a contact hitter in the minors. Barring a change of positions, it's difficult to see where Gamel fits in now because McGehee looks like the real thing. GRADE: C-minus.

J.J. Hardy, SS - The Brewers probably planned to replace Hardy with Alcides Escobar at some point to reallocate finances, but Hardy helped accelerate that blueprint with an awful year at the plate. Hardy never got comfortable, staggered to a terrible start (.156 in April), briefly recovered (.313 in May), then fell off the planet. He tinkered too much with his batting stance and lost confidence. The prolonged skid led to the unthinkable - a demotion to Class AAA Nashville on Aug. 12. Part of that assignment was to push back Hardy's free agency until after 2011 and make him more tradable, but he could have avoided that by playing to previous form. Hardy had shown above-average pop for the position but hit only 11 homers in 414 at-bats. He still remained mostly dependable in the field but is not in Escobar's class in terms of range. Once considered one of the core players on the team, Hardy almost certainly will be traded before spring. He's still young (27) and likely to bounce back with another team. GRADE: D.

Casey McGehee, 3B - It took a huge offensive showing in spring training for McGehee to win a spot on the bench. And that's where he stayed for six weeks, until second baseman Rickie Weeks was lost for the season with a wrist injury. McGehee started seeing time at second base before eventually settling in at third base when Bill Hall played his way off the club. As his playing time increased, so did his production, always a good sign. With a .301 batting average, 16 homers and 66 RBI in 116 games, McGehee earned consideration for NL rookie of the year. He also showed mental toughness by playing most of the season with a balky right knee that required arthroscopic surgery after the season. That problem hurt McGehee in the field, limiting his range and explosiveness to the ball. On healthy knees, he is considered an above-average defender. McGehee easily was the biggest surprise on the club. GRADE: B.

Rickie Weeks, 2B - We'll never know if this was going to be Weeks' much-awaited breakout season because it came to a disappointing end too soon in mid-May when he suffered a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist. He was off to his best start ever with a .272 batting average, nine homers and 24 RBI in 37 games. Weeks has worked hard to improve his defense but still rates as a below-average defender. He has made it clear he doesn't want to change positions, which has squashed any thought by club officials of doing so. Because of the injury, Weeks goes into 2010 still as an unknown quantity. More than anything, he needs to prove he can stay healthy after failing to play a full season for four consecutive years. GRADE: Incomplete.

OUTFIELDERS

Mike Cameron, CF - Cameron gave the Brewers what they expected in terms of batting average (.250), home runs (24, tied for second-most in the NL at his position), RBI (70) and on-base percentage (.342). He posted those numbers while hitting as high as second in the lineup and as low as seventh. Cameron dropped from 22 stolen bases in 2008 to seven this season, but that also was a byproduct of the team not running as often. He struck out 156 times to lead the team for a second consecutive season and also struggled with runners in scoring position (.233), especially early in the season. Cameron didn't miss a beat defensively, still ranking as one of the best centerfielders in the game. His veteran leadership never slumps. He was a go-to guy for young players in the clubhouse, tacking a half-grade onto his on-field performance. GRADE: B.

Ryan Braun, LF - With a handful of attractive personal milestones in sight, Braun pushed hard until the final day of the season. When the smoke had cleared, Braun had accumulated 203 hits, most in the NL, making him the first Brewer to reach 200 since Paul Molitor (216) in 1991. He also joined select company in club history by batting .320 with 32 home runs, 114 RBI and 113 runs scored. He also swiped 20 bases, becoming only the second Brewer with 30 homers and 20 steals. Braun teamed with Prince Fielder to form the most productive duo in the major leagues. Despite batting .320 with a .386 on-base percentage, his major shortcoming remains plate discipline. Braun walked only 57 times while striking out 121 times, slight improvement from his 42/129 ratio in 2008. In his second year in left field after playing third base as a rookie, Braun showed he still needs work defensively. He was charged with only two errors in 156 games in the field after committing none in 148 games but still takes poor routes on balls, particularly in the gap in left-center. Braun caught flak for speaking publicly at midseason about the club's need for pitching, but he certainly had it right. GRADE: A.

Frank Catalanotto - Added to the club in May in an attempt to strengthen a woeful bench, Catalanotto added some experience and had some productive starts when rightfielder Corey Hart was sidelined after an appendectomy. He batted .278 in 144 at-bats but was a non-factor in terms of run production with one homer and nine RBI. Most disappointing was Catalanotto's failure as a pinch-hitter, with only six hits and no RBI in 33 at-bats (.182). GRADE: C-minus.

Jody Gerut - Gerut was acquired in mid-May for centerfielder Tony Gwynn Jr., who had been exiled to Class AAA Nashville. He was missing in action for two months after that deal, doing nothing as a pinch-hitter or spot starter. He batted .189 (7 for 37) as a bat off the bench and struggled to get his overall average to .200. With more playing time in the second half, Gerut finally got some hits, boosting his overall average to .236 with the Brewers in 161 at-bats, with only five homers and 21 RBI. In September, he batted .283 with a .338 OBP. GRADE: D.

Corey Hart, RF - In an unsettled season, Hart batted .260, his lowest average since getting regular playing time in 2006. Hart did make some improvement in plate discipline, walking 43 times, most in his career, and raised his OBP from .300 last season to .335. That patience might have hurt his aggressiveness, however. His 12 homers and 48 RBI were less than his production during the first half of 2008. Hart hit .232 in May but got the bat going and hit .305 in July before going on the disabled list after an emergency appendectomy while the team was in San Diego. Hart returned and took some time to get comfortable but eventually put together an eight-game hitting streak. Even that successful period came to a premature end when he missed the final five games with injured fingers on his right hand. For a player who flirted with an "A" last season, Hart took quite a plunge. GRADE: C-minus.

Felipe Lopez, 2B - Lopez proved to be a valuable acquisition after coming from the Arizona Diamondbacks in mid-July. He filled two holes created by the loss of Rickie Weeks, taking over at second base and at the top of the batting order. With a .320 batting average and .407 on-base percentage in 66 games, he was a fantastic table setter for Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, prompting many fans to call for his return in 2010. Lopez was sloppy at times in the field, committing eight errors and prompting manager Ken Macha to address a couple of mental lapses. But he also made several nice plays and turned double plays with ease. In 151 games overall, he batted .310 and ranked among the league leaders with 187 hits. It was his best overall season in the majors, just in time for Lopez to hit the free-agent market. GRADE: B-plus.

CATCHERS

Jason Kendall - No catcher in the majors has started more games since 2000 than Kendall, who at 35 was limited to 134 games, his lowest total since an injury riddled '99 campaign. Getting some time off helped him bat 20 points higher (.253) in the second half than the first. After throwing out 39.6% of base stealers in 2008, Kendall dropped to 16.9% (13 for 77) this year, a precipitous decline. But he was not given free rein by manager Ken Macha to call pitch-outs and throw-overs (to first base), which might have been a factor. Kendall has no power to speak of (two homers) and is not a run-producer but drew enough walks (46) and ranked among the league leaders with 17 HBPs, resulting in a .331 OBP. Pitchers still like the way he calls games and handles himself behind the plate, which combined with his toughness and leadership make Kendall a commodity when his workload is kept within reason. GRADE: C.

Mike Rivera - When the starting catcher struggles with the bat and the starting rotation goes bad, the backup catcher is a popular guy among those advocating lineup changes. But, unlike the previous season, Rivera did not prosper in limited action. He batted .228, his worst average since becoming a Brewer, with two homers and 14 RBI in 114 at-bats. In 32 starts, Rivera hit .238 with a .331 OBP, which won't be good enough for the club to hand him the starting job if Kendall doesn't return. He was a bit better than Kendall in throwing out runners, nabbing 5 of 23 (21.7%). GRADE: C-minus.

PITCHERS

Mike Burns, RHP - Burns was the No. 1 option out of Class AAA Nashville to fill in for injured or demoted starting pitchers. He was inconsistent, however, and manager Ken Macha eventually decided he could not rely on him. In eight starts, Burns went 3-4 with a 6.86 ERA. Overall, he was 3-5 with a 5.75 ERA in 15 appearances, with 10 home runs allowed in 51 2/3 innings. GRADE: D-plus.

Dave Bush, RHP - Bush's season is difficult to assess because he was never the same after being struck on the pitching arm by a line drive June 4. He was allowed to make three more mostly awful starts before a test revealed a micro-tear in his triceps. Bush was shut down for two months but never regained full arm strength and had only two decent starts out of seven upon his return. Still out of sync and lacking confidence in his health, Bush was held out of his final start. The final numbers were ugly, negating the progress made (7-3, 3.99 in 22 starts) from midseason 2008 until hit by the liner. Not an overpowering pitcher, Bush must hit his spots and was unable to find a consistent release point after the injury. His 6.38 ERA was worst among pitchers with at least 100 innings in the NL. GRADE: D.

Todd Coffey, RHP - Coffey was reliable for much of the season, becoming perhaps the most-trusted reliever with games on the line, be it the sixth inning or the eighth. Dating to September 2008, he did not surrender a run in his first 16 appearances with the Brewers (17 innings), a franchise record for a debut. Coffey was the team's pitcher of the month in July, giving up just two runs in 14 1/3 innings. As with other overworked relievers - he appeared in a team-high 78 games - Coffey wore down a bit in September. But he finished strong with a 0.96 ERA over his final 11 appearances to finish 4-4 with a 2.90 ERA. Coffey allowed only 18 of 58 inherited runners to score and led the NL with a career-high 83 2/3 relief innings. GRADE: B-plus.

Mark DiFelice, RHP - DiFelice was one of the most reliable members of the bullpen in the first half of the season, going 4-1 with a 1.83 ERA in 35 appearances. Primarily a one-trick pony with a cut fastball, DiFelice was used mostly against right-handed hitters (.233 average) because lefties fare much better against him (.278). The heavy workload of his first full year in the majors as a reliever eventually took a toll, however, and DiFelice was hit hard after the all-star break (7.27 ERA in 24 games). Manager Ken Macha had to use him more sparingly and DiFelice finally was sidelined with a shoulder strain in mid-September. Despite that fade, he posted a 3.66 ERA over 59 appearances and walked only 15 with 48 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings. GRADE: B-minus.

Yovani Gallardo, RHP - The expectations placed on the 23-year-old were high, and had he received more run support, Gallardo would have come closer to meeting them. He went 13-12 with a 3.73 ERA and struck out 204 batters in 185 2/3 innings before the team shut him down over the final two weeks to control his workload after missing most of 2008 with a knee injury. On nine occasions, the offense scored two or fewer runs in Gallardo's starts. He had six "tough losses" in which he made quality starts. Four pitchers tied for the league lead with seven. Gallardo became only the fourth Brewers pitcher to reach 200 strikeouts. However, he walked 94, which increased his pitch totals. Gallardo's bat was as potent as his arm at times. He drove in eight runs and decided two games with home runs. GRADE: B.

Trevor Hoffman, RHP - It sounds weird to say the game's all-time saves leader (591) far exceeded expectations but Hoffman did, especially considering he pitched the entire year at age 41. The only blip came at the start when Hoffman missed the first three weeks with an oblique strain. After that, Hoffman was off the charts in terms of locking down games. He didn't allow a run until his 19th game and wasn't scored on in 47 of 55 appearances. Hoffman converted 90.2% of his save chances (37 of 41), and his 1.83 ERA was his lowest since a 1.48 mark in 1998. The change-up specialist made his seventh all-star appearance and immediately established himself as a leader in the clubhouse. Hoffman organized daily workouts for the relief corps, banding that group together. Opponents batted only .183 against him, managing just 35 hits in 54 innings. Hoffman's strikeout rate (8/9 IP) slipped a bit, but he allowed just two homers in 210 plate appearances. The Brewers moved quickly to sign him for 2010. GRADE: A-plus.

Braden Looper, RHP - Looper established a career high with a team-high 14 victories, but his 5.22 ERA and major league-high 39 home runs allowed were more indicative of his erratic season on the mound. To his credit, Looper pitched all season with an ailing right knee that required minor surgery after the season. That problem might have made it difficult to stay on top of the ball consistently, contributing to the home run total. Looper led the league with 123 runs allowed and was third with 226 hits allowed. His 1.49 WHIP was the highest of his three seasons as a starting pitcher. Looper was an asset in that he didn't miss a start and led the club with 194 2/3 innings pitched. But, without the second-highest run support (8.97 average) in the league, Looper's won-lost record would have been a different story. GRADE: C-plus.

Seth McClung, RHP - Once again, McClung was versatile enough to pitch in relief and as a starter. But, unlike 2008 when that experiment worked, McClung wasn't nearly as successful. In two starts, he was 0-1 with a 12.27 ERA (10 runs in 7 1/3 innings) after going 4-4 with a 4.24 ERA as a starter last year. McClung had a nice relief stretch in May, pitching 15 1/3 innings and allowing three runs. But he couldn't duplicate those numbers afterward and fell out of favor. His season ended on a sour note with a sprained elbow ligament in July that sidelined him for more than a month, with sporadic work in the closing weeks. McClung finished 3-3 with a 4.94 ERA. GRADE: D-plus.

Chris Narveson, LHP - It wasn't until Narveson was needed as a fill-in starter in September that he found a truly productive niche on the club. In four starts, he went 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA. In 17 relief outings, Narveson was 1-0 with a 4.13 ERA. He was much better in his second stint with the Brewers, posting a 2.48 ERA over 12 appearances, including those four starts. Whether Narveson's late showing puts him in the mix as a starting pitcher next spring remains to be seen. GRADE: C-plus.

Manny Parra, LHP - Club officials hoped Parra would make the leap to dependable starter in the front end of the rotation, but he remained erratic with command and eventually was demoted to Class AAA Nashville. He continued to have problems limiting trouble innings to minimal damage. Parra was recalled and went 8-3, but that was primarily the result of banner run support. He finished the season 11-11, but his 6.36 ERA led all NL starters with 120 innings. Parra, who missed three starts in September with neck stiffness, showed flashes of why the organization believes he can be a front-line arm. But he issued 77 walks in 140 innings and opponents batted .306 against him. GRADE: D-plus.

Chris Smith, RHP - Smith was used primarily in mop-up roles, as evidenced by the team's 6-29 record in games in which he appeared. Smith was effective for the most part in that role but finished with three bad outings (nine hits, six runs in two innings) that bumped his ERA from 3.07 to 4.11. He allowed 11 homers in 46 innings, a very high rate, but opponents batted only .232. GRADE: C.

Mitch Stetter, LHP - For most of the season, Stetter was the lone left-hander in the bullpen and was overworked. He was solid in April and May, then fantastic in June when he pitched 10 1/3 innings, allowed three hits and not a single run. But as Stetter was used more often, he wore down and allowed 10 runs in 12 1/3 innings from July through the start of September. Stetter righted himself and gave up one run in his final 6 1/3 innings to leave his ERA at 3.60 with a 4-1 record in 71 appearances. From June 9-25, he recorded 15 consecutive outs via strikeout, a franchise record. Opponents batted only .216 against him, and only 14 of 67 inherited runners scored. GRADE: B-minus.

Jeff Suppan, RHP - Suppan became a whipping boy for disgruntled fans by continuing a downward trend in his third season of a four-year, $42 million contract. He finished with a 7-12 record and 5.29 ERA, fifth-worst in the NL among starters and his highest since a 5.32 mark with Kansas City in 2002. In his final 37 innings, Suppan allowed 23 earned runs on 42 hits - including six homers - and 13 walks. He spent time on the disabled list for a month with an oblique strain, but his performance didn't change much after that. He reached 30 starts for the 11th consecutive season, but that total was achieved only as a courtesy from manager Ken Macha with two innings on short rest on the final day of the season. Opponents batted .309 and Suppan had a horrible 1.69 WHIP (walks and hits per inning). GRADE: D-minus.

Claudio Vargas, RHP - Acquired just before the trade deadline, the former starter became a key part of the Brewers' bullpen for the remainder of the season. In 28 appearances after coming from the Dodgers, he compiled a 1.78 ERA and eventually emerged as the primary setup man for closer Trevor Hoffman. Vargas did not allow a run over his last 13 appearances, covering 14 innings. Opponents batted only .175 against him. For the season, he allowed only three of 26 inherited runners to score. By all appearances, he has found a new niche in the majors. GRADE: A-minus.

Carlos Villanueva, RHP - It was a roller-coaster season for Villanueva, who had his ups and downs as a reliever, and mostly downs as a fill-in starter. The result was a 4-10 record and 5.34 ERA, up from 4.07 in 2008. In six starts, Villanueva was 1-3 with a 6.52 ERA. As a reliever, he was charged with five blown saves in eight chances. Villanueva had a 6.17 ERA in April, 1.46 in May, 7.94 in June, 10.95 in July, 4.91 in August and 2.04 in September, when he finally settled back in as a reliever. Being that erratic left Villanueva frustrated and emotionally exhausted by season's end. GRADE: C-minus.

David Weathers, RHP - With their bullpen foundering because of high workloads, the Brewers traded for Weathers in August. He didn't pitch as well as he had in Cincinnati, going 1-3 with a 4.88 ERA in 25 appearances. Weathers didn't have much of an impact with the Brewers already freefalling from the playoff race before his arrival. He was yanked from a handful of performances in mid-inning, something to which he was not accustomed. His 1.54 WHIP was unusually high. GRADE: D-plus.

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